Latest News

I took this picture home with me from the grocery store because I do not know what I’d do with a radish. Yes, I am the kind of person who photographs produce with the camera on my phone and keeps you from reaching that crisp head of romaine you’ve got your eyes on.

Radishes are a lot like yarn in my world. I saw these scarlet beauties, and I needed to have them, if only as a digital file. Because I would never give up the valuable real estate in a salad that could be occupied by a cherry tomato or a chunk of ripe avocado to a radish and because they’d only sit pretty on my counter until toted out to the compost pile, they had their picture taken in situ. Maybe I should rename my stash “my yarn compost pile.”

I’m learning that people who buy yarn, generally speaking, may be placed into one of two capacious categories. Before I go on, this disclaimer: they’re both good. No one will judge you if you read on and say, “Oh, yeah, that’s 100% me all over” or “That is so not me.” I think we tend to play more on one team than the other, though, and it may be time I switched sides. Change is good, and I am, after all, taking pictures of vegetables at the supermarket.

One group buys yarn only after a project presents itself. One group buys yarn before the matching project arrives on the scene, and that would be me. I bond instantly with a yarn and give little thought to what will come next. Will that yarn find its way onto needles and my Ravelry project page before more arrives? Don’t count on it. I’ve just found out there’s an acronym for stashes like mine: A.B.L.E. – “amassed beyond life expectancy.”

Maybe I should try loading up my camera’s memory card at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival next month instead of the usual sixteen shopping bags. Maybe. I’ll let you know how that goes.

But the Wee Ones Trunk Show has everything else you’ll need. Sweet little sweaters, darling hats and bonnets, even a big green frog. We have yarn suggestions/substitutions for each style, and the pattern book is 20% off during the show. We only have the “trunk” through the 16th, so come and fall in love before Saturday!

Our very first trunk show is on its way. Yarn manufacturers and designers send out these samples to showcase particular yarns and patterns, knowing that we knitters and crocheters make our decisions as much with our hands as our eyes.

Classic Elite Yarns is sending us the sweaters, accessories, and toys in their darling pattern collection, Wee Ones. The pattern book will be on sale 20% off during the CEY Trunk Show. I can’t wait to see the shop turned into a wee little gallery. The show runs April 7-16. After that, we pack up the “trunk” and send it off to another local yarn shop for them to enjoy. (Later in the summer we’ll be receiving another trunk show, CEY’s Home Sweet Home.)

One of our customers has already made Arlo, the “peace sign” pullover at left, with our Universal Yarns Cotton Supreme. Not, perhaps, what Classic Elite would have wished, but the CEY pattern and Cotton Supreme yarn were the perfect match. The finished sweater is one of the cutest and softest you could ever hope to see… or touch!

P.S. – Remember to sign up soon for our CEY Yarn Tasting on April 30th, 4:30-6:00 p.m. There are only 20 spots available, and they’re going quickly. There’ll be five different yarns for you to “taste,” along with free patterns, door prizes, refreshments and more for just $15 per person. As it will be the day after the Royal Wedding, we’ll be sure to raise our glasses (at least once) to the happy couple!

Getting ready for our Classic Elite Yarn Tasting on April 30th gave us an idea.

Wouldn’t it be fun to have some yarn to snack on all the time? Thus was Yarn of the Month born. Each month one of our favorites will be in the spotlight. It will be on sale all month long, 20% off. We’ll have samples-in-progress for you to take for a test drive, both crochet and knit. Miss April will be Louet Euroflax Sport, one of the most useful, least understood yarns we know of.

It’s 100% linen. It comes in 270 yard skeins. It’s machine washable and dryable. It works just as well for table runners and tote bags as lacework and open mesh garments and stoles. We have several of Julie Weisenberger’s outstanding cocoknits patterns here in the shop that feature Euroflax, including Gretel, a very Eileen Fisher-esque tank that takes only 2 or 3 skeins. Kat Coyle’s Linen Top, a free pattern on Ravelry.com, is another one of my favorites. I can see myself making up both in the Euroflax and wearing them as part of my summer “uniform.” Even on the hottest days, I like having just a little extra weightless layer of something over tees and tanks, otherwise I feel a bit too “out there.” Its manufacturer Louet also has beautiful patterns of their own, available for sale on Patternfish.com.

I’ll admit it – this is a yarn that can be easily passed over. In the skein it feels dry and a little starchy, not adjectives that spring to mind when we think of luscious yarn. But after just a few minutes of being worked it responds to the warmth of your hands and starts to soften. After it’s had a relaxing soak in a bath and a spin in the dryer, it turns into everything we love about all fine linen.

A spring snow may be falling as I write this, but linen weather is coming. Start thinking now about wearing it, carrying it to the farmer’s market to pick up some vine-ripened tomatoes, and setting it out on the table for a dinner of panzanella and a chilled Orvieto or Sauvignon Blanc. Now doesn’t that sound nice?

Spring officially arrives at 7:21 p.m. The schedule of spring classes at Gosh Yarn It! arrives when I hit “Publish,” which I’m going to do – right now – at 7:19 p.m.

To get full details about supplies and pre-class homework (if any) and to register, contact Gosh Yarn It!, 570.287.9999, or email info@goshyarnitshop.com.

LACE SAMPLER WORKSHOP: This chance to learn from Felicia Ryan’s expertise in lace should not be missed! The class is a skill builder and is technique rather than project oriented. If you’ve already mastered basic lace skills and are ready for more detailed designs, you’ll learn how to tame even the most “difficult” patterns you’ve been admiring. The class will cover reading lace pattern charts and explore a variety of increases and decreases. As a bonus, you will explore several different ways to make a nupp, an Estonian bobble stitch that people think is one of the most difficult and tricky of all lace stitches. One skein of Lanaloft Sport Weight yarn is included in the class fee and will be supplied at time of registration. One Saturday session, March 26, 1:00-4:00 p.m. ($50)

Note: Felicia has generously offered to lead an online-based Knit Along (KAL) for us over the summer for one of her favorite patterns that incorporates all the skills covered in this class, Echo Flower Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen (permission to use pattern granted by the designer). Meeting days/times will be chosen during class if there is interest. All lace knitters are welcome to join this KAL; you do not need to attend this class to take part.

LEAF LACE SHAWL: Lace knitting has become enormously popular, thanks to deceptively easy patterns such as Evelyn A. Clark’s Leaf Lace Shawl, a classic Estonian-inspired pattern and the perfect introduction to knitting triangular lace shawls. It can be worked in 4 different weight yarns and your choice of 2 sizes, so you’ll have plenty of options. Instructor Gina Thackara will be working the shawl right along with you, offering great tips and tricks for successful lace work. Two Saturday sessions, March 26 and April 9, 1:00-3:00 p.m. ($60)

GOT GAUGE?: As much as you may want to cast on for a new project and get started, taking that small amount of time to check your individual stitch and row gauge before you begin can mean the difference between knitting up a success or a disastrous failure. In this class with Felicia Ryan you’ll learn how to use swatches to get the most out of your knitting, whether you’re trying to match a pattern exactly or make substitutions. There is pre-class swatching homework. One Saturday session, March 26, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ($30)

CROCHET 101 : Many knitters ask, “Why should I learn to crochet when I can knit?” Crochet may be younger than other fiber arts, but in just over 200 years, crochet has evolved into a unique craft, much more than a technique for making doilies, granny squares, and baby blankets. Marcia K. Farrell, PhD. will show you the versatility, beauty, and nuances of crochet and how crochet and knitting are really complementary techniques that produce very different results. Students will learn the chain stitch and the single crochet as they make a washcloth-sized sampler. One Wednesday session, March 30, 5:00-6:30 p.m. ($25)

TATU (TRY A TOE UP) SOCK: Using Carolyn Kern’s original pattern written for sock knitters who have previously knit only cuff down socks, you will knit a pair of full size toe-up socks (one at a time) in sport weight yarn on 2 circular needles. Techniques covered in the first class include Judy’s Magic Cast-on to start the sock toe; in the second class, working the heel with a gusset/heel flap construction and short rows; and in the last class, binding off with the Kitchener (invisible) bind-off. Three Saturday sessions, April 2 and April 9, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., and April 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m. ($60)

TINY TOP DOWN SOCK ON DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES: For centuries, socks have been worked from the cuff down on double pointed needles (DPNs), and it’s still the best way to get to know “sock anatomy.” While knitting a miniature practice sock with me you’ll learn how to cast on with DPNs, turn a heel, pick up gusset stitches, and graft a toe closed. Class fee includes a copy of the pattern and sufficient yarn to complete the project. A good choice for knitters who are making socks for the first time but have knit in the round before. Two Saturday sessions, April 2, 1:00-3:00 p.m., and April 16, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ($45)

VINTAGE CROCHET BABY BLANKET: Churchmouse Classics gives a fresh, updated twist to a classic chevron crochet pattern in a charming baby blanket. Working with instructor Marcia K. Farrell, PhD., you’ll have a choice to work either a 2- or 10-color version, both of which are easy to size up for adult use. Two Wednesday sessions, April 13 and April 20, 5:00-6:30 p.m. ($45)

STARTING TO FINISH: If you love starting sweaters but aren’t happy with your finishing skills, you’ll learn to make perfect seams, pick up stitches for bands and edgings, and make just-right buttonholes from Carolyn Kern in this class. There is no project, but there is pre-class homework. One
Fee: $45, 1 Saturday session, April 30, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ($45)

CHA CHA SCARF: One of our best-selling yarns is the unique Cha Cha from Trendsetter, a crepe ribbon yarn with a ladder-like opening along one side. With Jill Schwartz you’ll learn how to prepare and knit Cha Cha yarn to make a rectangular scarf of soft, elegant ruffles. One Saturday session, April 30, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ($15)

ENTRELAC SCARF: Entrelac is a knitting technique that produces a textured diamond pattern. “While the end result resembles basket-woven strips of knitted fabric, the actual material comprises interconnected squares on two different orientations. The use of variegated yarn with long color repeats for entrelac has become commonplace, since careful use can create distinct squares of color with only one yarn.” [Source: Wikipedia] The project for this class with Carolyn Kern is The Basic Entrelac Scarf by Lisa Shroyer. One Saturday session, May 14, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ($45)

TINY TOE-UP SOCK ON 2 CIRCULAR NEEDLES: Once you go toe-up, you may never go back. You will knit one miniature practice sock with me on 2 circular needles, learning Cat Bordhi’s version of Judy Becker’s Magic Cast-on for a great seamless start, work the heel turn with wrap-and-turn short rows, and go on from there to learn how to knit full size socks that can be tried on every step of the way for a perfect fit. Class fee includes a copy of the mini sock pattern and sufficient yarn to complete the project. A good choice for knitters who are making socks for the first time but have knit in the round before. Two Saturday sessions, May 14, 2:00-4:00 p.m. and May 21, 10:00-11:00 a.m. ($45)

MAGIC LOOP TOP DOWN SOCKS: Tried making socks on DPNs or two circulars and ready to make your socks on just one needle? In this class with instructor Catherine Molski you will learn the Magic Loop method for knitting socks cuff down (one at a time), from casting on to grafting the toe with the Kitchener stitch. Catherine will have several socks-in-progress to show you each step of sock construction as you knit along. Class fee includes a copy of sock pattern. Three Saturday sessions, May 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m., June 4, 1:30-3:30 p.m., and June 18, 1:30-2:30 p.m. ($60)

KNIT MARKET BAG: It’s almost farmers’ market time. Tote your tomatoes in the eco-friendly Terrific Tote pattern by Kollage Yarns (or crochet bag, see below). Techniques covered in this class I’ll be leading include picking up stitches, knitting in the round on circular needles, increase and decrease stitches, reading a 4-row lace chart, and the use of a cable needle. Two Wednesday sessions, May 11 and May 18, 5:00-6:30 p.m. ($45)

CROCHET MARKET BAG: If you’re a beginner crocheter ready to start reading and following written patterns, Marcia K. Farrell, PhD. will show you how to get started with this easy market bag. Class fee includes pattern. Two Wednesday sessions, May 25 and June 1, 5:00-6:30 p.m. ($45)

ISHBEL SHAWL: Ysolda Teague’s Ishbel is a hugely popular design, with over 9000 projects on Ravelry.com alone. We think the reason is its simple construction and elegant design, a shallow gull-wing triangle, which is pretty made up either as a larger shawl or smaller scarf. You can use lace, fingering, or sport/DK weight yarn for both sizes. I’ll be leading this class with one of my favorite patterns. Three Wednesday sessions, June 8, June 22, and June 29, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ($45)

KNITTING LACE FOR THE FIRST TIME: English Mesh Lace Scarf, a simple, well-written pattern, will introduce you to the delightfully addictive world of lace knitting. I’ll be showing you basic increase and decrease stitches, chart reading, how to “read” your lace knitting to catch little mistakes before they grow, and how to add beads to your stitches as you knit, although the pattern can be worked with or without beads. One Saturday session, June 18, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ($45)

and, of course, we always offer:

KNITTING 101: Instructors, Ann Ross or Jill Schwartz

Ready to be a knitter? Stop in the shop for an hour, either on a Wednesday morning or Thursday evening. You’ll learn the basics: to cast-on, knit and purl, and cast-off. Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., and Thursdays, 5:00-6:00 p.m. (Free. No advance registration required.)

STITCH & SPINS: Bring whatever project you’d like to work on and enjoy the company of your fellow knitters, crocheters, and spinners. Coffee, tea, and snacks available. Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m., and Saturdays, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

And now the fine print: GOSH YARN IT! CLASS POLICIES

Unless otherwise noted, supplies are not included in the class fee.

In-stock supplies for all classes may be purchased by class participants at a 10% discount either in advance or on the day of the first class. (We really appreciate your buying all your class supplies from us!)

Classes are filled on a first come, first served basis.

Payment is due when you sign-up. We accept reservations by telephone with payment by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.

A pre-paid class fee will only be refunded if at least 5 days advance notice is given that you will not be attending. If fewer than 5 days notice is given, a refund will only be made if we are able to fill your space in the class with another student. An un-refunded class fee is transferable and may be used to register for future classes.

Class size, unless otherwise noted is 3-6 students. Gosh Yarn It! reserves the right to cancel or reschedule classes that do not meet the required minimum enrollment (but we hope we’ll never need to). A missed individual session of a class cannot be refunded or made up (but we’ll be happy to try to help you catch-up on what you missed). Any class canceled due to inclement weather will be re-scheduled.

If we’re lucky, the sky will be clear this evening when the moon rises. If I may quote CNN quoting NASA about tonight’s super-sized perigree full moon:

Full moons look different because of the elliptical shape of the moon’s orbit. When it’s at perigee, the moon is about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to Earth than when it’s at the farthest point of its orbit, also known as apogee. “Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the moon’s orbit,” the NASA website says.

Perhaps this rare perigee moon (next one doesn’t swing around again until 2029) will shine down and help a few Spring Sprinters, working into the wee hours tonight, to finish up their projects in time for the end of the Sprint on Sunday at 7:21 p.m., the official start of Spring. May it be so in my case!

Our Spring Sprint Closing Ceremonies will be held at our regular Stitch & Spin on Thursday, March 24, 6-8 p.m. If you can’t make it, we’ll hold your “medal” for you at the shop through March 31. Just swing by yourself for a visit to pick it up.

We’re going to celebrate Winter’s end in another way, the way we know best, with an End-of-Winter SALE, March 22-24. We’re marking down about a dozen of our dearest warm, wooly yarns 25%. We love them, but enough is enough. Jill and I will start thinking about wool again in June, when we place our fall orders at the trade show. (Let us know now if there’s anything in particular you’d like us to be looking for at the show, by the way. What else floats your yarn boat?) And please help us clear some space on the shelves for all those yarns yet to come!

I’ve saved the eye candy for last in this post. Here it is, LOVE spelled TOSH:

(I don’t want to bury my lead, so if you’d like to learn about our new Saturday Circles*, skip this part for now and come back later!)

There it is, my oldest UFO (“unfinished object”). It’s my second rendition of the Diamond Fantasy Shawl, a brilliant pattern designed by Sivia Harding. It deserves my attention. It has been on my Addi Lace Turbo size 6s since it returned from a plane ride in March of 2009, when I started it on my favorite Denise needles, which are much more TSA-friendly. Finishing it will be my project for our Spring Sprint 2011. I’d like to have my needles back, and I’d really like to have this to wear this summer.

I wish I could also say that I’ll finish a pair of Fetching fingerless gloves promised as a Christmas gift, finish Stephen West’s Pogona Shawl I’ve just started with Madeline Tosh Sock, finish three other projects currently in my WIP basket, as well as get a big chunk of a store sample completed that I haven’t even begun yet with Marks & Kattens Linen, but this is a sprint, not a marathon.

While looking through my WIP basket of shame, I found an even older UFO from October, 2008, a green merino and cashmere Lace Ribbon Scarf. As I held it once again in my neglectful hands, I realized I could no longer pretend that the beautiful yarn and the beautiful pattern belonged together. They were never meant to be one beautiful scarf. So my Lace Ribbon folly will become the demo model for Reclaiming Yarn, an upcoming Saturday Circle.

*We’re introducing Saturday Circles so we can introduce techniques that we find indispensably useful. They’ll be held twice a month as free hour-long demo/practice sessions, 11:30-12:30, just before the Saturday Stitch & Spins start at 1:00. If you’d like to stay for the Stitch & Spin, feel free to bring a lunch. (Nothing too odiferous in your brown bag and no open beverages, please.) Saturday Circles aren’t classes, per se. Either Jill or I will be demonstrating techniques we think you’ll enjoy having in your bag of tricks. As needed, all materials for any practicing of the technique du jour will be supplied. Here’s the schedule for March and April:

March 12: Knitting Around, getting to know your way around DPNs and circular needles to knit in the round.

March 26: Reclaiming Yarn, how to rip out, skein, tie, wash, and wind used yarn into new again. Goodbye, Lace Ribbon Scarf.

April 9: Great Beginnings, exploring different cast-ons and when to use them.

April 23: Making More or Less of Your Knitting, common increases and decreases.

We look forward to adding crochet techniques to the Circles, too. Right now we’re thinking advance sign-up’s won’t be necessary, but if we should only be so lucky to have a line out the door, we’ll work something else out!

Notice I didn’t say “sweaters.” For too long, we’ve let having the word “sweat” right there at the start of “sweater” keep us from adding to our summer wardrobes with the work of our hands. No more. There are plenty of pretty patterns for each of our new yarns, so you can see how gorgeous they’ll be worked up. And if you’ve never made a swea – I mean a top before, summer is the perfect time to start. No, really! Something to be just a light layer over a tank or tee, maybe sleeveless, definitely breezy and easy.

Two fantastic yarns from Classic Elite, Sprout and Pebbles, are the first to arrive. More gorgeous products are waiting in the wings, including yarns from two lines new to Gosh Yarn It!, Cascade and Westminster Fibers. Speaking of Classic Elite Yarns, we will be hosting our first-ever trunk show and yarn tasting featuring their yummy yarns in April. More on that in a bit. For now, though the wind outside may be roaring like a lion, we only have lambs on our mind – and bamboo, and silk, and cotton, and linen…

Winter, that is. Are you like me, sooo ready for spring’s arrival on March 20? Even though, since Northeast Pennsylvania weather is good at ignoring the calendar, we might have a blizzard a week later? Spring being less than a month away is reason enough for Gosh Yarn It! to celebrate with a Spring Sprint. Let me explain.

First, if you aren’t a member of the online knitting/crocheting/spinning community of Ravelry.com, let me tell you about “Ravelympics,” one of Ravelry’s best ideas. During the Ravelympics, you start and finish one or more projects or, alternatively, pick up a languishing UFO and complete it, in the 17 days between the opening and closing Olympic ceremonies. For those who participated in 2010 – as I did – during the Winter Games in Vancouver last year, it was two joyful weeks of adrenalin-charged stitching (knitting, in my case). I worked faster and longer than I ever had before. It was great! With the indulgence and encouragement of my bemused family, I was able to complete two small lace-weight shawls, a Citron (below) and just about all of a Swallowtail.

The next official Ravelympics will be held July, 2012, during the London Summer Games. But Gosh Yarn It! is not going to wait. This is where we return to our Spring Sprint, modeled after the Ravelympics, so we can all count down the last days of winter and celebrate the arrival of spring with brand new finished projects!

The Gosh Yarn It! Spring Sprint will kick off at 6:00 p.m. at our regular Thursday Stitch & Spin on March 3. (Attendance not required; just mark your calendar with “Ready, Set, Go!”) The Sprint will conclude with the official end of winter at the spring equinox on March 20, 7:21 p.m. EDT.

In the official Ravelympics there are multiple events with options to “compete” as an individual or with a team, but we ask only that you:

sign up to participate, either on our Spring Sprint thread on Ravelry, in the shop, or by phone, on or before March 3

register your chosen Spring Sprint project(s) with us on or before March 3

announce your success after March 20! We hope you’ll bring your FO to the shop to be photographed for a winners’ gallery on the GYI blog or post your own pictures on our group thread on Ravelry.

The Ravelympics are about setting and meeting your own goals, and the most important rule is: Challenge yourself. Think about what would be a stretch for you. A project that would “expand your knitting/crocheting/spinning horizons.” Want to try a new technique? Make your first pair of socks? Whip up two dozen dishcloths to give as Christmas gifts? Finish that scarf or afghan that’s been in time-out for months? You choose what would make you feel like a “winner”!

And what is “finished”? The Ravelympics rules ask, “does it mean blocked? Ends woven in? Sewn together? Photographed? That’s up to you. Remember the One Rule: Challenge yourself. If you feel it’s finished without the ends woven in or before blocking, then mark it finished. If not, don’t. Be honest with yourself, and we’ll celebrate with you.”

Start thinking about what you’d like to create in the last 17 days of Winter 2010-11. All Spring Sprint participants reaching their personal finish line will receive “gold medals,” of course, and we’ll even hold our own “closing ceremony” to bring the festivities to a close!

Yes, shelves may groan under the weight of stitch dictionaries, but all those bobbles and cables come down to only two stitches, however they may be slipped, dropped, picked up, or twisted. An upcoming class at the shop, Knit & Purl Sampler Scarf/Afghan, is a great way to get to know those stitches much, much better, whether you’re a new knitter who has just mastered knit and purl or ready to start designing your own stitch patterns. Let Felicia Ryan show you what every knitter should know about knitting and purling.

The class will be held on two Saturdays, February 26th, 12:00-1:30 p.m. and March 5, 12:00-1:30 p.m. It’s your choice to knit either a spectacular scarf like Felicia’s original design, created as our shop sample in chocolate brown Louet Gems Sport Merino, or make individual squares for an afghan. The class is $45; cost of materials is additional. Call or stop by to register soon; enrollment limited to 6.

Speaking of classes, there is an exciting addition to our March calendar: Leaf Lace Shawl, a project-based lace class with Gina Thackara, beginning March 26, 1:00-3:00 p.m. and finishing up on April 9, 1:00-3:00 p.m.Leaf Lace Shawl is a classic Evelyn A. Clark design – 693 Ravelry projects can’t be wrong! – incorporating an all-over Estonian leaf motif and featuring both written directions and charts. The sample in the shop is in a DK yarn, but designer Clark has written the pattern for two sizes and four weights: lace, fingering, sport, and DK/light worsted. If this would be your first adventure with triangular lace shawls, that means you have a lot of great yarns to choose from! The pattern is an ideal introduction to shawl knitting, and Gina will be working right along with you. Class cost is $60, supplies not included.